Kyoko Lake: A One Shot
by skylarkz
Summary: Mori reflects on his past, and why he is so protective of Hunny... A one shot set when Mori is 5.


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Authors Note: Hey Guys! I was sitting on my computer the other day, when I started thinking about Hunny and Mori... and this sorta popped into my head. It's not the BEST story, and it might seem "narrated" from an older veiw, but this is Mori reflecting on his past, as you can tell from the last paragraph... Anyway, enjoy!

P.S: Kyoko, according to the site I found, basically means mirror...

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**Kyoko Lake**

_I think the only person that had ever seen me cry was me. I was always expressionless, blank, because I learned long ago what actual emotion could bring._

_It was twelve years ago since I remember showing or feeling any emotion at all. My parents were stern and strict, always telling me to concentrate and be responsible if I ever wanted to get anywhere in life. Though I was a pretty responsible five-year-old, I did sometimes run away to the commoners' village near where we lived to escape the pressure that was all too much for any normal kid._

_The village was filled with chattering people, all celebrating for an upcoming festival when I met her. I was hiding behind a basket of oranges, watching the other children dancing around holding their parents hands, getting over-excited about a simple and (compared to any party I had ever been to) cheap festival._

"_Are you okay?" a small voice said from behind me. I had heard whoever it was carefully creep up behind me, so I didn't jump at the sound of her voice._

"_I'm fine," I said, turning around to face the girl. She was bout my age, with shoulder length blonde hair, and big brown eyes that looked kindly at me. She may have seemed my age, but the way she smiled made her seem so much younger. It was strange how cute she seemed, even to me._

"_Oh okay then, I just thought you looked lonely," the girl smiled, turning to walk away._

"_Thanks," I said, smiling slightly and making the girl turn around._

"_I'm Maki by the way," she decided to tell me, bowing he head slightly. "What about you?"_

_I was taken aback by the question. Most people in the area knew my family's name, and a commoner like this girl was no exception. I decided just hope she didn't recognize the name, or I'd be in a heap of trouble._

"_Takashi," I said softly._

"_It was great to meet you Takashi!" Maki smiled, before dancing back towards the festival celebrations._

_Over about a month, Maki and I began to bump into each other more and more often, until we became best friends. I told her all my secrets (with the exception of the one about me being rich) and she told me all of hers. She never asked why I was never with my parents, and I never questioned her odd choice in games. She was like a little sister._

_She was the first person I ever properly smiled at, as far as I could remember._

"_You know Takashi," Maki said sweetly one day, smiling deviously. "I've never taken you to *Kyoko Lake, have I?"_

_I shook my head, smiling lightly at her. Maki was always taking me to strange and wonderful places, never questioning why I always needed to hurry home quickly though. Kyoko Lake probably wasn't an exception to the strange places she took me._

"_Well, let's go then," she cried happily, taking my hand and leading me through trees and streams, getting further and further away from the village, until we got to a huge, clear blue lake, surrounded by lush green grass, with the protection of many trees for privacy._

_There were many flowers scattered around everywhere, but my favourite by far was the bright blue forget-me-not flowers scattered around, with their five blue leaves and yellow centre were probably the prettiest of them all._

"_You like them?" Maki laughed, picking one from the ground beneath her feet and handing it to me. I looked away, embarrassed. I was a five-year-old boy, thinking about the beauty of a flower. It was embarrassing for anyone, particularly a girl, to see me admiring the beauty... although I guess she was my best friend._

"_Here," Maki smiled, holding out the flower for me. I smiled and laughed._

"_Thanks Maki!" I smiled, taking the flower and gently storing it in the pocket of the jacket I wore. I knew she'd expect me to keep it, so I wasn't sure how I was going to dispose of it when I got home and not upset Maki, but I didn't trouble my little mind with such matters._

_We both sat by the lake, and began skipping rocks, singing our favourite songs, and I even managed to bring some fancy sushi for us to share._

"_This is great Takashi!" Maki exclaimed, chewing her sushi slowly so as to savour the taste. "Did your mum make it?"_

_I was tempted to deny it and tell her that our chef made it, but then how would I explain me having my own chef?_

"_Yeah, she did," I said, trying to sound proud, even though I was far from it. I didn't want to upset Maki!_

"_Wow! She's a great cook! I'll have to come over one day and try some more of her food!"_

_I smiled, saying nothing. I wouldn't let Maki come to my house, although she desperately wanted to. Mum and dad would be appalled if they knew my best friend was a commoner! And Maki mightn't hang around with me anymore!_

_I let Maki do most of the talking, listening as she told me about the new noodle recipe her mum tried, and how it made her feel sick last night, and how she was thinking of bringing her teddy bear to show me tomorrow._

"_Anyway," Maki laughed after finishing her story about how her big sister broke her leg. "Wanna go swimming? Mum told me the water here was really warm!"_

_I almost agreed, until I noticed how low the sun was. Mum and dad would go ballistic if I wasn't home soon._

"_Sorry Maki," I sighed. "I need to go."_

"_Aww!" she complained. "Oh well, I'll go swimming anyway. Meet me outside the sushi shop tomorrow, okay?"_

_I nodded before turning around and sprinting back to my house. I already couldn't wait for tomorrow, although I knew I would have a hard time escaping seeing as the Haninozuka family would be coming to visit, but I had promised Maki I would meet her, so my Aunt, Uncle and cousins could wait._

_The next day, after I finally managed to escape the family, I sprinted as fast as I could towards the sushi shop, knowing that poor Maki would be waiting for me. I was surprised to find that I must have arrived early, because she was nowhere in sight._

_I sat down and waited outside the busy sushi shop for at least an hour before the sadness came. Did Maki not like me anymore? Had she found out the truth and decided to hate me?_

_I didn't let myself cry as I began wondering the streets, asking random people if they knew what happened to Maki. Not a single person in the village had a clue where she was.  
"Excuse me!" I asked a lady who was walking into her house. She was the last person I was going to ask before heading home._

"_Yes?" the lady asked, turning to face me. There were tears running down her face, but she did the best she could to smile for me. I appreciated that._

"_Do you know where Maki is?" I asked. The woman instantly broke down in sobs, her face falling into her pale hands, and her blonde locks of hair hiding the rest of her face..._

_I realised suddenly that this lady had the exact same hair colour as Maki. Could she be...?_

"_I'm sorry little boy. Maki... Ma- Maki passed away," the woman cried. I didn't understand. What did she mean, passed away?_

"_What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, walking slowly up to the woman._

"_Maki... Maki drowned yesterday," the woman sobbed. It all crashed down on me then. Maki died... swimming._

"_Not in Kyoko Lake?" I gasped. I couldn't understand it. If Maki drowned, then it was my fault. I wasn't there to save her._

"_Y-yes," the woman sobbed, looking up at me strangely, before realisation flickered across her face. "You're Takashi, aren't you?"_

_Shock was clear in her voice, and I was surprised that Maki had told her mother about me at all... I nodded anyway, keeping my face expressionless._

"_I am so, so sorry dear," Maki's mother crooned (because I was fairly sure this woman was her mother). "It's so hard to lose a friend like that so suddenly."_

_I couldn't stand this any longer. I knew I was going to burst into tears very quickly if I didn't get away._

_I never answered Maki's mother as I sprinted away, taking the forget-me-not flower out of my pocket and clutching it tightly, letting only a single tear slide down my cheek. It wasn't fair._

_I remember getting home that day and just running into my room, ignoring everyone else there. I didn't want to see them. I'd only just gotten inside my bedroom before I broke down into silent, uncontrollable sobs._

_It was _my_ fault Maki was gone. I didn't stay with her while she was swimming. I didn't tell her that maybe we should have gone today instead._

_Maki's mother was crying her eyes out because of me. Though only five, I still felt the terrible weight on my shoulders that came with death. I never told anyone about my secret commoner friend, so there was nobody to comfort me. I didn't want them to though. I didn't deserve it._

"_Takashi?" a voice asked from outside my bedroom door. I ignored them, letting the tears silently slide down my cheeks._

"_Can I come in?" the voice asked, sounding familiar this time. It was my cousin, Mitsukuni. I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes and composed my expression before opening the door to let my cousin in._

_Mitsukuni was a lot smaller than me (although surprisingly the same age), and was holding his favourite bunny in his arms. It tore my five-year-old heart out when I looked into Mitsukuni's face. It was so similar to that of Maki that I almost lost control of my emotions. It was like looking at the male version of my now deceased friend._

_I moved aside, allowing Mitsukuni access to my room, which was basically just a bed and some training equipment for my Judo training._

"_You seemed mad before, so Usa-chan and I came to check on you," he smiled, holding up his bunny. I decided right then, that I would do whatever it took to protect my cousin. I had failed to protect Maki, because I left her alone. Although Mitsukuni was a very capable warrior, I still suddenly felt protective of him. He resembled Maki in so many ways (except for his strange addiction to sweets, which always weirded me out). I would make up for not protecting Maki by protecting my cousin, even if it cost me my life._

_I owed it to Maki._

I now stand facing Kyoko Lake for the first time since Maki drowned. Mitsukuni is on my shoulders, looking down at our reflection. I imagine little pigtails on him, and suddenly he is Maki, laughing about how her teddy was being eaten alive by her baby sister. I smile sadly, knowing that the reflection in the water should have been my future. Maki would have turned out like Mitsukuni, I'm sure of it. The thought only saddens me

Slowly, I take Mitsukuni off my shoulders, gently placing him on the ground, and pat his head.

"Please wait here," I say to him, walking over to one of the forget-me-nots growing near the lake. Gently, I take it from the ground, and walk to the side of the lake.

I feel Mitsukuni's eyes on me as I place the brilliant blue flower on the surface of the water, letting a single tear slide down my cheek and hit the flower.

Mitsukuni is defiantly concerned now. Nobody has ever really seen me cry, or express any kind of emotion for that matter... Except Maki.

"Maki," I say softly. "If you can hear me, then I'm apologising for not coming to pay respect."

Mitsukuni walks up behind me, tugging the back of my Ouran uniform.

"Who is Maki, Takashi?" he asks, looking up at me with sad eyes filled with tears.

"My best friend from long ago," I say with a slight smile, picking him up and placing him on my shoulders. I couldn't stay there any longer. I didn't want to have the nightmare that had plagued me after that day yet again. I didn't want to see my best friend drown.

Mitsukuni wraps his arms around my neck as we walk away, like a small child. He doesn't question anything I have said, and in a way, I'm glad.

Kyoko Lake. I'm not sure if I'll ever go back again, but at least I'd managed to finally say goodbye.


End file.
